THE DEPARTURE
The morning dawned. Count Paulo rose from the arm-chair in which he hadpassed the night. He had occupied the whole fearfully anxious night inwriting; he now laid the pen aside and stood up.
His face had an expression of firmness and decision; he had formed afirm resolution, had come to an irrevocable determination.
With a firm step advancing to the door opening into the adjoiningchamber, he called to his friend Cecil.
The latter immediately made his appearance, and, entering the count'schamber, laconically said: "All is ready."
Count Paulo smiled sadly. "You are then sure there are no other means ofsaving her and ourselves?" he asked.
"None whatever," said Cecil. "Every moment's delay increases her andyour danger. The occurrence of last night is a proof of it. They soughtthe death of Natalie--without Carlo's help she would have been murdered,and all our plans would have come to an end."
"Her life is threatened, and yet you can urge me to go and leave heralone and unprotected?"
"Was it you who saved her from the danger of last night?" asked Cecil."Believe me, it is your presence that threatens her with the mostdanger. Precisely because you are at her side, they suspect her andwatch her every step; the circumstance that she is with you createsdistrust, and in Natalie they will think they see her whose mysteriousflight has long been known in Russia. And Catharine will have hertracked in all countries and upon all routes. Therefore, save Natalie,by seeming to give her up. Return home and relate to them a fable of afalse princess by whom you had been deceived, and whom you abandoned assoon as you discovered the deception. They will everywhere lend youa believing ear, as people gladly believe what they wish, and by thismeans only can you assure the future of Natalie and yourself."
"That is all just and true. I myself have so seen and recognized it,"said the count; "and yet, my friend, I nevertheless still waver, andit seems to me that an internal voice warns me against that which I amabout to do!"
Cecil smilingly shook his head. "Trust not such voices," said he; "it isthe whispering of demons who envelop themselves in our own wishes, whoentice us to what we would, by seeming to warn us against what we fear.Nothing but your departure can give you safety. Leave Natalie herein quiet solitude, and without you she will be well concealed in thesolitude of this garden, and you, in the mean time, will pursue youraffairs in Russia, and deceive the enemy, while you yourself seem tobe the deceived party. They threaten you with the confiscation of yourproperty, and they will fulfil those threats if you do not obey thecall of the government. Go, therefore, go! We will secretly sell yourproperty; and when this is accomplished, then, laden with treasure, letus return to Natalie, no longer fearing their threats."
"And when all this is done," exclaimed Count Paulo, glowing, "it shallbe our task to conduct Natalie back in triumph to the country to whichshe belongs, there to place the diadem upon her fair brows, and to raiseher above all other mortal beings!"
"God grant us the attainment of our ends!" sighed Cecil.
"We must and shall attain them!" responded Paulo, with enthusiasm. "Imust fulfil this great task of my life, or die! Away, now, with allwavering or hesitation! What must be, shall be! They shall not say ofthe man who took compassion upon the deserted and threatened orphan andraised her for his own egotistical wishes, and pusillanimously failed tofinish the work he began! No, no, history shall not so speak of me. Itshall at least represent me as a brave man capable of sacrificing hisheart and his life for the attainment of his higher ends! Seal theseletters, Cecil. They contain my last will, and my bequest to Natalie,which I wish to place in her own hands. Ah, Cecil, I have been anenthusiastic fool until this hour! I thought--alas, what did I not thinkand dream!--I thought that all these plans and objects were not worthso much as one sole smile of her lips and that if she would say to me'I love thee,' this sweet word would not be too dearly purchased with animperial crown. Perhaps, ah, perhaps, I think so yet, but I will nevermore suffer myself to be swayed by such thoughts. We must go--Natalie'shappiness demands it. And besides, she will not lack friends andprotectors. It was not without an object that I last evening presentedher to the most notable people of Rome; not without an object that Iconsented to her allowing herself as a poetess. They now know her name,which is repeated with highest praise in every quarter of the city; allRome is to-day enthusiastic in her praise, and all Rome will protectand defend her. Add to which, I shall yet recommend her to the specialprotection of Cardinal Bernis!"
"And it was exactly in his house where she was almost murdered!" saidCecil. "Without that singer, Carlo, she would have been forever lost!If, then, you would choose a protector for her, let it be Carlo."
Count Paulo's brow darkened. "This singer loves her!" said he.
"Precisely for that reason," smilingly responded Cecil. "One who loveswill best know how to protect her."
Count Paulo made no answer; he continued thoughtfully walking back andforth. Then he said with decision: "Seal these letters, Cecil. I willtake them to Natalie myself."
"You will, then, see her again?" asked Cecil while folding the letters."You will render the parting more painful!"
"I will it!" said Paulo, with decision, and, taking the letters, he leftthe room with a firm and resolute step.
He found Natalie in her room. She did not hear him coming, and thus didnot turn to receive him. She was sitting motionless at the window anddejectedly looking out into the garden, her head supported by her hand.
The events of the previous evening had made a great change in her. Shenow felt older, more experienced, more earnest. A dark shadow had passedover her sun-bright happiness, a dark power had threateningly approachedher; the seriousness of life had been suddenly unfolded to her andhad brushed off the ether-dust of harmless and joyful peace from herchildish soul. The happy child had become a conscious maiden, and newthoughts, new feelings had sprung up within her. The first tears ofsorrow had, with a mighty creative power, called all these slumberingblossoms of her heart into existence and activity, and her unconsciousfeelings had become conscious thoughts.
But what had not happened, what had she not experienced and felt sincelast evening? First, had not a new happiness broken in upon her, hadshe not now a name, was she not a princess? Then, had she not achieved atriumph--a triumph in the presence of Corilla? But then, also, how many_desillusions_ had she not experienced in a few hours? How had her heartbeen cooled by the rich flow of words in Corilla's poesy! Her whole soulhad languished for the acquaintance of a poetess, and she had heard onlya rhymed work of art. And then the last terrible event! Why had theywished to murder her? Who were her unknown enemies, and why had sheenemies?
"I should have been dead had he not rescued me!" murmured she, and herlovely face was illuminated by a sunny smile. "Yes, without Carlo Ishould have been lost--I have to thank him for my life! Oh," said shethen aloud, "to him therefore belongs my existence, and for every joy Iam yet capable of feeling I am indebted to him, my friend Carlo! Ah, howshall I ever be able to reward him for all this happiness?"
And while she was thus speaking, Count Paulo, pale and silent, stoodbehind her; she saw him not, and after a pause she continued: "Howstrange it is! To-day, when I think of him, my heart beats as neverbefore, and I feel in it something like heavenly bliss, and yet atthe same time like profound sorrow. Ah, what can it be, and why do I,to-day, think only of him? I could weep because he does not yet come!How strange it all is, and at the same time how sad! Seems it not thatI love Carlo more than any one else, more even than Paulo, whoformerly was the dearest to me? How is it now, and am I, then, truly soungrateful to Paulo?"
Count Paulo still stood behind her, pale and silent. A painfully ironicsmile flitted over his face, and he thought: "I came to ask a question,and Natalie has already given me the answer before I had time to ask it.Perhaps it is better thus. I have now nothing to ask!"
The young maiden became more and more deeply absorbed in her thoughts.Count Paulo laid his hand lightly u
pon her shoulder. She was startled,and involuntarily cried, "Carlo!"
"No, Paulo!" said he, with a melancholy smile, "but at all events afriend, Natalie, though a friend who is about to leave you!"
"You leave me?" she anxiously exclaimed.
"That means only outwardly, only with my body, never with my soul," saidhe, deeply moved. "That, Natalie, will remain with you eternally, thatwill never leave you--do you hear, never! Always remember this, mycharming child, my sweet blossom! Never entertain a doubt of me; and ifmy voice does not reach you, if you receive no news of me, then thinknot, 'Paulo has abandoned me!' no; then think only, 'Paulo is dead, butmy name was the last to linger upon his lips, and his last sigh was forme!'"
"You desert me?" said she, wringing her hands. "What am I, what shall Ido, without you? You have been my protector and my reliance, my teacherand my friend! Alas, you were all to me, and I have ever looked up toyou as my lord and father."
Count Paulo sadly smiled. "Love me always as your father," said he;"while I live you shall never be an orphan, that I swear to you!"
"And must you go," cried she, clinging to him; "well, then let mego with you! You will be my father--well, I demand my right as yourdaughter; to accompany her father is a daughter's right."
"No," he firmly said, "you must remain while I go; but I go for you, toassure your future power and splendor. Remember this, Princess Natalie,forget it not; and when one day they brand me as a traitor, then say:'No, he was no traitor, for he loved me!' And now hear what I have yetto say," continued the count, after a pause, while the stillweeping Natalie looked up to him through her tears. "But look atme, Natalie--no, not that sad glance, I cannot bear it! Leave me myself-possession and my courage, for I need them! Weep not!"
And Natalie, drying her eyes with her long locks, sought to smile.
"I no longer weep," said she, "I listen to you."
Paulo placed two sealed letters in her hand.
"Swear to me," said he, "to hold these letters sacred as your mostprecious possession."
"I swear it!" said she.
"Swear to me to discover them to no human eye, to betray theirpossession to no human ear! Swear it to me by the memory of your mother,who now looks down from heaven upon you and receives your oath!"
"Then she is dead?" said the young maiden, sadly drooping her head uponher breast.
"You have not yet sworn!" said he.
The young maiden raised her head, and, turning her eyes toward heaven asif in the hope of encountering the tender maternal glance, she solemnlysaid: "By the sacred memory of my mother I swear to discover thesepapers to no human eye, to betray their existence to no human ear, butto hold them sacred as my most precious and mysterious treasure!"
"Swear, further," said Count Paulo, "that whenever a danger may threatenyou, you will sooner forget all other things than these papers, thatthey should be the first which you will endeavor to save. Yes, swear tome that you will ever bear them upon your heart and never permit them tobe separated from you!"
"I swear it!" said Natalie. "I will defend the possession of thesepapers, if necessary, with my life!"
"And thereby will you defend your honor," said Paulo, "for your honorrests in these papers. Yet ask me not what they contain. You must notyet know; there is danger in knowing their contents! But when a wholeyear has passed without my return or your hearing from me, and if inthis whole year no messenger comes to you from me, then, Natalie, thenopen these letters; you will then possess my testament, and you willconsider it a sacred duty to execute it!"
Natalie, sobbing, said: "Ah, why did not that dagger pierce my heartyesterday? I should then have died while I was yet happy?"
"You will yet do so!" said Count Paulo, with a slight tincture ofbitterness; "Carlo and your future yet remain to you!"
She looked at him with a clear, bright glance, but without answering.She had again become an enigma to herself. Now, when her friend, whenPaulo, was about to leave her, it seemed to her she had done wrong tolove another, even for a moment, better than him, her benefactor andprotector; indeed, as if she in fact loved no one so well as him, asif she could resign and leave all others to insure Paulo's permanentpresence!
But she was suddenly startled, and a glowing flush overspread hercheeks. She had, quite accidentally, glanced through the window intothe garden, and had there discovered Carlo, as with slow and hesitatingsteps he descended the alley leading to the villa.
Count Paulo had followed her glance, and, as he now observed the singer,he said: "He shall henceforth be your protector! Promise me to love himas a brother. Will you?"
He looked at her with a fixed and searching gaze, and she cast not downher eyes before that penetrating and interrogating glance, but met itdirectly with clear and innocent eyes.
"Yes, I will love him as a brother!" she said.
"One more thing, and then let us part!" said Paulo. "Marianne is honestand true--let her never leave you. I have amply provided her with fundsfor the necessary expenses for the next six months, and I hope longbefore the expiration of that time to send a further supply. If I donot, then conclude that I am dead, for only with my life can I be robbedof the sweet duty of caring for you! And now let me go to Carlo!"
Slightly nodding to her, he hastily left the room.
At that moment Carlo mounted the steps leading to the door of the villa.Paulo met him with a hearty greeting.
"Let us go down into the garden," said he, "I have many things to say toyou."
The two men remained a long time in the garden. Natalie, standing at thewindow, occasionally saw them, arm in arm, at some turning of the walks,and then they would again disappear as they pursued their way in earnestconversation. Strange thoughts flitted through the soul of the youngmaiden, and when she saw the two thus wandering, arm in arm, shethoughtfully asked herself: "Which is it, then, that I most love? Is itCarlo, is it Paulo?"
"I now understand you perfectly," said Count Paulo, as they againapproached the house after a long and earnest conversation. "Yes, itseems to me I know you as myself, and know I can confide in you. Youhave perfectly tranquillized me, and I thank you for your confidence.It was then Corilla, that vain improvisatrice, who would have destroyedher? That is consoling, and I can now depart with a lighter heart.Against such attacks you will be able to protect her."
"I will protect her against every attack," responded Carlo. "You have myoath that the secret you have confided to me shall be held sacred, andyou have thereby secured her from every outbreak of my passion. Shestands so high above me that I can only adore her as my saint, can loveher only as one loves the unattainable stars!"